Shadow of Morendail
by Shadowsiren66
Summary: No proper summary yet. basic fantasy adventure story.
1. Chapter 1

The sun began to set along the horizon as the great sea vessel Alexandria sailed the salty seas. The sea gulls flew alongside the sails, happily cawing to one another.

The cold sea air began to chill ever so more as the sun disappeared behind the sea wall, and day turned into night.

The ship's crew chattered as they worked to keep the boats maintenance in order.

The ships cook made them their annual, nightly dinner. Fish, yet again. This time it was fried eel and crab. A nice change, but the crew still tired of the seafood. Their long journey lasting far longer than anticipated. The lot getting more than impatient, wanting to arrive at their destination.

Morendail, the country known for its wondrous mountain ranges and gorgeous sceneries. The city Altria, city of elves, was where their boat would soon dock. Hopefully it will be sooner, rather than later.

The captain declared they would reach their destination by morning come.

The ships bunker was full of chatter and conversation as they all ate.

The only one to not join in the chatter, who quietly ate, was Ruby. She took refuge on this ship whilst on the run from her home country. She was sick of being told what to do and being used for her unique power.

There were a few crewmembers on the boat that tried to make conversation with her, but none succeeded. She just wanted to get to Morendail and be on her way.

"Not into friendly chatter, huh?" She was asked.

"Hah. That's an understatement. I just want this little venture to be over with and be back on dry land." She says, poking at her food.

"We should be arriving in Morendail by morning." He says. "My name is Taigious, by the way. Taigious Vellore."

"Ruby." She says, finally looking at the man next to her. He wasn't human. Not entirely. His hair was a long white as pure snow, eyes as blue as the sky. He had a gentle face that was inviting and warm. He had two pairs of dark purple horns protruding from the crown of his head. They suited him quite nicely. "May I call you Tai?"

He nods. "Do so." He smiles warmly again.

She couldn't help but let herself smile back at the interesting man. "So. What are you going to do once the boat docks?" She asked him.

"Who knows? Altria is a city of elves. Maybe I'll find work there." He shrugged. "Or maybe I'll venture out into the vast country that is Morendail. There is plenty out there to enjoy."

"That seems like a sound plan if I've ever heard one." She says. "I may do the same. Whatever to get my mind off where I came from..."

"And where is it you came from, Ms. Ruby?" He asked, leaning back against the barrels behind them, smiling at her. "Riverstead? Ivenshore?"

"Morancreek." She says simply. She came from the isle of Morancreek. It was a channel of small islands lining the edge of the great sea.

"Oh? You come from a small place. Isn't that place known for the-"  
"Tobacco. Yes." She says, nodding. "The good kind though. Not the kind most humans make that hurts your lungs. The tobacco we grew healed. With a little help from the lands guardian's power."

"I've heard." He smiles. "I'd hoped to get my hands on some when we ventured past those isles, but the captain didn't want to stop. Then we stopped to get you." He leans back. "I think the captain fancies you, Ms. Ruby."

Ruby couldn't stop herself from glancing to the Captains seat, turning her gaze away however when she noticed the man in question looking in their direction. "I… Wow. I didn't know." She looks at Tai once again.

Tai laughed softly and patted her shoulder. "He hasn't seemed to make any kind of move to pursue you, so I think you'll be safe." He says before standing up. "I'll leave you be. Perhaps we can speak more later on?"

She nods, and he walks off, leaving her alone once again.

With dinner finished and the crew retired to bed, the ship grew quiet.

Ruby, however, sat on the front of the vessel, staring out at the water ahead as it sped through the seas. There was something comforting about the water. She found the sounds of the waves soothing, very calming to her. It distracted from the feeling of dread and discomfort she felt.

She thought back to the night she left home. It was after a heated argument with her father. He claimed she was to not leave the isles no matter what.

" _ **You are not to leave, Ruby! Ever! You'd be going against your duties, against your ancestors if you leave Morancreek!" Her father had raged.**_

" _ **I don't want to do as I'm told! I hate my duties, and I don't want to be like our ancestors!" She rarely disobeyed or talked back to her father in such a manner. She never spoke with such disrespect to anyone in the Isles.**_

" _ **Ruby Morenala! You will not talk back to me in such a manner! How dare you speak to me with such disrespect?"**_

Ruby sighed at the thought of that horrible night. She didn't regret leaving. What she had said was the truth. She hated her duties back home. She had been forced to take up her mother's role when she passed away. And she had hated every second of it.

The sound of the floorboards creaking snapped her out of her thoughts and she spun around, hand going to the hilt of her dagger.

Captain Carnell stood before her, seemingly startled by her sudden caution. "Now, now. It's just me. No need to be alarmed." He says calmly to her.

She eyed him suspiciously but slowly removed her hand from the blade. "What do you want?" She asked him, not trusting him much. She'd never trusted this man. She was just there on his ship to get to Morendail.

"Just wanted to talk. See how you're doing." He says with a coy grin plastered on his face.

"Well I'm fine." She says, glaring at him. "I'd like to be alone, if you don't mind."

"Alright. We'll be arriving by morning, hopefully. So we can all relax." He steps closer to her, hands at his sides. "How about a little chat? I haven't had the chance to talk to you this whole time."

"I don't want to talk." She says. "I don't like talking to others."

"I saw you talking to Taigious earlier at dinner." He says.

"That was different." She says. "I chose to talk to him when he confronted me."

"Well. I'd like to have a conversation with you."  
"No."

"Captain, leave her be. She wants to be left alone." Tai walked over, his arms folded over his chest.

Carnell turned to look at him and sighed. "So be it. See you in the morning." And with that being said, he turns on his heal and returns to his quarters.

Ruby let out a soft sigh, relaxing. "Thanks for that." She says, looking back out toward the water.

Tai smiles and leans against the edge of the boat, hands slid in his pockets. "He's kind of an ass, so I figured I'd spare you of his... Troublesome…ness." He clears his throat. "Soooo."

Ruby looks at him. "Yes?"

"I've been thinking, and I was wondering if maybe you'd want to be my travel buddy? For when we finally dock?"

She thought about it a moment. "I wouldn't mind that. You're more tolerable than anyone else on this ship." She stands up straight. "Alright. We'll be travel buddies." She laughs softly.


	2. Chapter 2

The dawn of a new day broke through the port window of the lower decks of the Alexandria. The soft sunlight was enough to wake Ruby from her deep sleep. The hammock she lay in was beginning to get uncomfortable. Thankfully, she was more than sure she wouldn't need to sleep in it again.

She lies there a few minutes longer, enjoying the quiet of the canopy. The ship's crew was all already up and working on their morning. Ruby sighed softly, idly running her fingertips over the deep green bindings on her skin.

A traditional tattooing those of her home land did for important people. At least that was what she told people who asked about them. She never told the truth about them. Not unless she found someone she trusted enough with such vital information about herself.

A knock on the wood doorframe pulled her from her thoughts and she sits up, looking over. One of the men who slept in the room with her and a few others stood there, a mug in his hand. "I have a special delivery, from the captain." He says.

Her eyes narrow at the cup in his hand, before she looks at him. "What is it?" She asked, almost suspicious.

"It's tea." He says, dryly. "It's from the captain's special collection." He steps into the room, sighing. "It isn't poisoned, if that's your concern." He says, offering the cup out to her.

She was hesitant to take it, but reluctantly gave in and took the cup from his hands. "Uh… Thanks." She says, looking down at the contents of the cup now in her hands. It was a soft green colour, with a mint leaf floating on the surface of the sweet smelling tea.

She didn't see him leave, nor did she really care all that much. She was focused more on the tea cup in her hands. She sighed and hoped she wouldn't owe the captain anything for this, taking a sip of it.

It was burning hot on her tongue, but she didn't let it bother her, enjoying the flavor of the tea.

The tea had a sweet berry flavor to it, one unfamiliar to her. She didn't know the flavor, but enjoyed it all the same. The added mint gave and extra tangy feel to it that made her feel comfortable and warm.

She reminded herself to suck up her suspicions long enough to get some of this tea from the captain before making her escape off the boat once it docked in Morendail.

With the tea in hand, she climbed the steps at the end of the short hall up to the main deck of the ship. The morning sun shone softly through the thick white sails.

It took a moment for Ruby's eyes to adjust to the light, but when they did, she looked forward, seeing a large mass of land in the far distance. The sight made her smile. It was land, more likely to be Morendail. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Mostly because it meant her freedom would feel far more real.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." Tai's voice says from her left. He looks over at him, grinning when she sees his hair up in a bun.

"You look ridiculous with your hair up like that." She says with a soft laugh, walking over to her new found friend.

"You think so? I think it looks good!" He grins right back at her. "I think it suites me." His voice holds a smooth confidence in which she admired. She added that to the list of reasons she liked this… Guy? She reminded herself to later ask about him once they reached the shore of Morendail.

"Alright, whatever you say." She laughs softly, looking down at her tea once again.  
"What's that you have there?" He asked her, noticing the cup.

"It's tea. It's a special delivery from the captain, apparently." She shrugs. "I'm not sure what kind. I don't recognize the flavor." She says, looking at him again.

Without much of a word, he takes the cup from her and sips its contents. She looked surprised, and a little offended by the action, but he chose to ignore the soft glare now plastered on the short woman's face.

"Hmm…" He thinks for a moment as he assesses the flavor. "Blossom berry, and royal blue. With…" He thinks a moment more. "Mint, is it?"

She looks at him for a moment. She'd never heard of those berries before. "I've never even heard of those before." She says to him.

His reaction made her laugh. His face twisted into a look of disgust and offense, a hand on his chest to exaggerate it further. "You haven't heard of them? I mean who even are you?"

She laughs out loud at that, covering her mouth as she does so. "I grew up on a small channel of isles. We don't have many berries growing there, especially not any called blossom berries, or royal blue." She says through soft laughter.

Tai smiled and patted her shoulder. "I was only teasing. That is good tea though. I like it."

"I like it too. I want to get some for when we leave the boat, but I don't really want to get all buddy-buddy with the captain to get more…" She sighs, sipping more of the lovely tea in her hands.

"No problem." He shrugs, leaning back. "It's a rather common tea if you know where to look. We can find you some when we dock." He smiles.

"Well, aren't you a sweetheart."

With the sight of their destination in the near distance, everyone seemed much happier; which was a delight.

They were all more than ready to get off the boat and on dry land once more.

Ruby over all was just excited to see the world outside Morencreek. There was a vast world out there, and she intended to see it all. This world was hers for the taking.

Maybe Tai too, depending on how long the two travel together.

He seemed reasonable enough of a partner. He was funny, and doesn't seem to be as much of a moron as those around her. She could deal with him, at least for the time being.

The Alexandria soon reached the great country of Morendail. In the nearing horizon, the city of Altria came into view. A beautiful elven city with tall buildings made of smooth stone and the finest wood the land had to offer.

The mountain range to the left of the city was blanketed in thick, tall trees, all colored beautifully in orange and red of the autumn season. Trees could be seen everywhere you look, but it never felt like too much.

The Alexandria arrives at the docks of this beautiful city and the crew exited the vessel.

The elves, such a beautiful race of beings they were. They lived far longer than any other race known of, and they acted with such a grace that made them seem far better. It wouldn't be a stretch from the truth, however.

As they all stepped onto the dock of Altria, they were greeted by the scent of fresh wood, and a sweet honey scent. It was an interesting mix of smells, but worked well together.

Ruby stepped off the boat with Tai, taking in the sweet scent of this new land. "Wow…" She sighs, looking around. "This place is beautiful. Is this Altria?"

"Indeed it is, my dear Ruby. Altria, the city of elves. Altria is known for its fine foods and fabrics. It's quite the rich and wonderful land." Tai spoke with a grin on his face, also looking around at the beauty.

The two of them walk together down the beautiful stone walkway. The smooth stone of the buildings were twisted and coiled in thick green vines. It reminded Ruby of home in an odd comforting/discomforting way. She wasn't sure if she liked or hated it.

The Elven citizens of the vast city all seemed to be very intelligent beings; all gorgeous as well, even in their elderly age. Many who worked at the docks were men, though there were a few children about who were adamant to help their elders in carrying crates and packages to wherever it is they need to be taken.

"Come on, Ruby. Let's go find an inn." Tai suggests, patting her shoulder. He then stretched, feeling/and hearing a pop in his back. "Ah, that felt good!" He says with a tone of satisfaction in his voice.

Ruby grimaced, looking at him. "That sounded awful!" She protests, sticking her tongue out in disgust. She frowned when she heard her companion laugh at her discomfort, a hand clapping on her back.

"That it did. But it felt good! My back feels a little bit better." He laughs as he spoke, slinging his back of stuff over his shoulder. "Come on."

Ruby followed him down the stone walkways that followed, glancing around the area as they wandered on. "So, any idea where the Inn is?" She asked him out of idle thought. The question was simple enough, and should gain a simple answer. She looked at him when she didn't get an immediate response.

He simply shrugged. "Hell if I know. Usually Inns are close by, so it shouldn't be too hard to find. "He replies to her question with a tone of sass, which gained a rather irritated groan from his companion. He laughs at her annoyance. "Don't worry, I'm good at navigating. It'll be fine."

She scowls ever so slightly, glaring at him. "You'd better be. I'm starting to get hungry, so if we don't, I will eat you instead." She grumbles. She hadn't eaten that morning, seeing as the last of their available supplies on the ship was stale bread and leftover fish from the night before. Neither sounded very appetizing to her, and thus left her hungry.

She puffed out her cheeks in flustered irritation when he started laughing. "I didn't mean it like that, you perv!" She says angrily.

"You get angry so easily, Ms. Ruby." He says through his laughter. "And I know what you meant, so it's okay. Shouldn't be too far, so my hide is safe."


	3. Chapter 3

As promised, Tai lead them to an Inn after a short time of wandering. A cute little wood cabin style tavern sat lining the edge of a thick forest looking area. Smoke fluffed out of the tall chimney at the top of the cute looking building.

It looked comfortable and inviting. "Finally," Ruby sighs, "took long enough."

"You don't have much patience, do you?" Tai asked, turning at her with a curious look. This got him a glare and a punch in the arm. "Oww! Okay, I get it! You're angry when you're hungry."

"Let's just go inside." She grumbles, grabbing the sleeve of his tunic and pulling him onward toward the Inn. The Inn was as adorable as the outside, at least to Ruby. The entryway and bar of the little tavern was well lit with torches and light fixtures, and very clean looking. The elves kept it very clean.

There weren't many in the building, aside from a few goblins, and hunters sitting at a few small tables.

Ruby let herself relax a bit, tired and grumpy from having to follow Tai aimlessly for the past half an hour. She pulled Tai along with her as she walked to the bar, where a tall elf stood cleaning the top.

"Good afternoon," The elf says. "What can I get for you?"

"Whatever's on your breakfast menu and some tea, please?" Ruby asked as she sat down on one of the stools.

Tai sat on the one next to her. "I'll have the same, but coffee, if you carry it."

"Of course. "What kind of meat would you like? Deer, Rabbit, fish or chicken?"

"Rabbit, please." Ruby says, slouching a bit over the edge of the bar counter.

"I'll have Deer." Tai says, looking at Ruby. Rabbit didn't sound appetizing to him at all. Quite frankly, it sounded disgusting. 

"Alright, I'll have it ready shortly. I'll be back in a minute with your drinks." The elven man disappears into the taverns kitchen to get what they ordered.

Ruby pulled out a gold bag, counting out what she had to pay for their food.

"No no, let me pay. Don't waste your gold here." Tai insisted, pulling out his own gold bag. Ruby just looked at him, holding her bag in her hands. 

"I'll pay for my own food, than." She says, continuing to dig into the bag.

"Nope!" He snatches the bag from her before she could attempt, causing a few gold pieces to clatter to the floor below them.

"Hey!" She looks at him with narrowed eyes. "That was uncalled for." She slides off the barstool and picks up the gold that fell.

"I'm paying. Come on, Ruby. Just this once, let me pay for a meal. I won't try it again~" He wavers the gold bag out to her, taunting her playfully.

With a scowl knitted tightly to her face, she snatched her gold bag back and stuffed it into her satchel. "Fine…" She grumbles in irritation as she climbs back up onto the barstool. "But just this once. I won't let you pay for my food next time."

He smiles at his little victory and pulls out the required coin, placing it down on the counter top. "We'll see, now won't we?" He asks in a playful tone, smiling at the irritated look she gave him.

"Try and relax a bit, won't you, Ruby? We'll stay here for the night, and then in the morning tomorrow, we can get supplies and start hiking." Tai leans against the bar counter, arms folded over top. "Then adventure through and maybe settle somewhere for a while." He shrugs as he speaks, resting his chin in his palm. He watched as Ruby turns her head to look at him, her pale sapphire gaze on him.

She sighs and shrugs. "Sounds good to me. I have nothing better to do, so let's do it."

He smiles at her and sits up straight. "Great!"

She looks at him with a questioning curiosity. "You seem awfully excited about that idea." She says, crossing her legs. "Why is that?"

"Well, now if I told you, than that wouldn't be any fun!" He grins ear to ear, reacting another curious look from Ruby.

"Is that so?" She asked with a tone of suspicion in her tone.

"I'm joking!" He laughs. "I'll be honest, you're interesting. And I want to know you. Adventuring with you will help me know you." He smiles fondly at her. "Where you come from, and who you seem to be are curious, and I want to figure it out. Can't do that if we aren't travel companions."

"Sooo in other words, you only want to travel with me because things about me are interesting?" She asked, raising a brow.

"Not only that. But you also seem like a charming and charismatic person. Someone I'd love to spend my time around." He says. "Someone who may even match my level of charm." He winks at her.

She rolls her eyes at him, but smiles regardless. "I suppose. I am curious about you too, Mr. Vellore. About the world you come from, what you are, more specifically."

"I'm a tiefling." He says simply.

"A what...?"

"A tiefling." He repeats. "Tieflings are typically known for being humans with demonic ancestry." He explains. "Pretty straight forward."

"I… Don't get it." She says. "But I guess that makes some sense? Explains the horns and tail."

Tai gives his long, thin tail a little flick as she looks at it, giving emphasis on the fact he had a tail.

"You'll need to explain… This… More a bit later on, I'm very curious." She says.

"So long as you tell me about your lineage?" He asked, gesturing to the bindings on her arms. What she had told him were traditional tattooing.

She was hesitant, but nodded. "Sure." She says, sighing softly. "I'll tell you anything you'd like to know about where I come from."

Satisfied with that, he dropped the subject.

The two of them chatted for some time about what they'd wanted to do while in Morendail.

They ate the food that was brought to them, more than happy to eat something other than fish for once. Tai mostly watched Ruby eat; the satisfied, content look on her face as she ate her roasted rabbit was almost adorable. He couldn't stop himself from smiling.

Ruby however, was far too focused on her food to pay any attention to Tai or what he was doing. If she ever ate fish again, it would be too soon. The sweet, juicy flavour of the rabbit she ate was almost too good to be true. Today was turning out to be a really good day. And she liked it. Not only was she free from the isolation of her home, she was free to do as she wanted. See who she wanted; eat what she wanted to eat. She was free to drink if she so pleased.

She looked at Tai to ask him something, but stopped when she saw the look on his face. "What?"

"… What?" He snapped out of whatever thought he seemed to be in and straightened a bit, giving her a questioning look.

"You're just staring at me." She says, taking a sip of her drink. "Why?"

"Oh, sorry." He laughs dryly. "Guess I kind of zoned out." He scratches the back of his head shyly, picking up his cup of coffee.

"Ookay." She says, slowly going back to eating. "Oh, I was going to ask..." She swallows the bit of food in her mouth before turning to him. "I've… Never really been all that free to do as I pleased back home, so I was just sort of wondering what sorts of things it is free people do...?" She asked him shyly. Was that a weird thing to ask a person? She didn't know, but asked it anyways. May as well, right?

He seemed to think about that for a moment, considering the question at hand. "Hmm. That's quite the loaded question, Mr. Ruby." He says. "As you said, you're free. So you're more or less free to do anything you want. Within reason, of course."

She leans back a bit, holding onto the edge of the counter as she does. "Hmm. Anything, huh? That gives me a whole lot of wiggle room." She laughs.

"You can be whoever and whatever you want to be. You could be a hunter, you could be a bandit, you could be an adventurer, or mercenary." He says.

"And what are you, of those things?"

"Me? I'm more of the adventuring type. But I'll take mercenary work if it's offered up." He smiled, seeming rather proud of himself for that fact.

His cockiness and proud nature made her laugh a bit. "Well, Mr. Adventurer, what are the perks of being such?"

"The perks of being an adventurer?" He asked, smiling. "You're free to do what you want, go where you want. You can explore caves and dungeons and fight monsters. Save people from trouble, and have fun doing it." He says, smiling. "I've been all over this great world of Fenian, and I have no regrets. All I've done and seen has all been worth it. Every second has been everything I could possibly dream of."

Ruby listened to him speak, fascinated by the concept. An adventurer sounded like a real, great thing, and sounded easy enough to accomplish. "Would… Would I be able to be an adventurer too?" She realized how ridiculous that sounded, but she was genuinely curious, and wanted to try to be just that.

Tai just smiled and nodded to her. "I gotta tell you, Mrs. Ruby. I think you already are an adventurer." He says with a chipper tone.

She looked surprised for a moment before thinking about it, and then smiling. "Yes!" She threw her fists into the air.

Tai couldn't hold back the burst of laughter at her childish reaction, making Ruby laugh too. Others in the Inn began to look at the two as they laugh and giggle to themselves. They were acting childish and silly, but neither cared in that moment.


End file.
